The Importance Of Telephone Communication Skills
The telephone is an amazing invention, allowing people to cmmunicate over any distance. And yet many people have trouble with using it for effective communication, something which is especially important in the business world. So lets discuss telephone communication skills as needed in two of the most common areas where this instrument is used: the home and the office.
So why are telephone communication skills required when we talk over a telephone. Simply, this is because nowadays most of the people take the telephone for granted. Thus, it has almost become a habit of daily life due to which one tends to forget basic etiquette in daily life and its routine.
As regards the use of telephone in a home, it should be understood that both parties, the speaker and the listener, should be receptive of what the other person is trying to express. It does not matter what you say and how you say. The fact is that the conversation will be meaningful only if both the parties are receptive.
The first thing that you need to do is to ask the other person whether he has time enough to speak or not. This will put you on the unobtrusive and courteous side. You can be assured that your conversation is going to be a receptive one.
The next thing to focus when you are talking with a person is to be active and respond positively to any kind of disturbances. If there are interruptions, say your door bell rang or any other work on your side is pending, inform this to the other person. State the truth that you need to attend and solve this first. Interruptions in between the conversation will only frustrate the two parties so the best thing is to solve the interruption first.
With this direct approach in communication, you will be able to develop good and mature relationships.
Now here are some useful tips that you need to maintain while you are attending a telephone in your office –
The first thing when you pick up the phone is to identify the name of the company, the department and then your name. If you are a self employed individual, then at first when you pick up the telephone speak out your name.
When you speak with any other person, no matter whether it is a client or a customer, speak out his name. This will make the other person feel good and also you are likely to remember the name. But remember not to overuse the name with familiarity.
Always remember to switch on the ‘hold’ button when you temporarily leave the phone.
Finally, one of the important tricks to improve your telephone communication skills is to record your voice. Than examine the voice, tone, vocal quality, friendliness and try to rectify the mistakes that you have. If you ask your friends, they would be able to recognize the deficiencies. This is even more beneficial so that you can correct yourself and go to speak with confidence.
Anyone can answer a phone. It’s how you answer it that determines whether the caller will continue to engage or go elsewhere. The person answering your phones is often the first interaction that customers will have with your company. It's important to make it count.
The statistics don’t lie: nearly 90% of consumers, patients and customers have stopped doing business with a company after experiencing poor customer service over the phone, and it takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for a single negative one, according to Forrester Research.
Whether you manage a doctor’s office, law firm or HVAC company, having effective telephone skills – especially after hours when your regular staff isn’t available to answer the phone – is critical in improving customer service.
Positive Tone
A friendly voice can instill comfort in the caller. Starting a conversation with a pleasant greeting sets the tone for the whole phone call. Answering in a rushed or annoyed manner puts a negative spin on the conversation, leading it in the wrong direction. The last thing you want is for your caller – especially someone who is particularly vulnerable, like a patient facing a medical emergency, to feel even more nervous or anxious than they already are.
Clear Enunciation
Enunciation allows the caller to fully understand what’s being said. We all know what it’s like to speak with someone who rushes through their words or uses overly complicated words when simple ones would do.
When someone doesn’t understand the person who picks up the phone, the focus then becomes on straining to hear the words and make sense of them, rather than the nature of the call. Clear enunciation can be the difference between a productive conversation and one fraught with tension.
Sincerity
Sincerity unites phone service agents and callers. Starting off the conversation with a sincere wish to address the caller’s problem allows them to develop a certain level of trust. Genuine… compassionate… caring… these are all good qualities for a phone service agent to have.
Whether people are calling your law firm, for example, because they want to know your rates or directions to the office, or they’re facing a troubling and emotionally draining time in their life, they want to know the person on the other end of the line can meet their needs.
The problem likely won’t be solved in one phone call, but an experienced phone agent can pass on detailed information to the appropriate parties, getting the caller one step closer to a resolution.
Engagement
Not all calls involve a crisis or emergency. However, professional phone agents are trained to stay engaged on every call so that when they do come across one of the few crisis calls – even if it starts off like a routine call – they are able to handle it properly.
Active Listening
Active listening is an essential aspect of good communication skills. When your operator(s) demonstrate good listening skills, your customers will feel as though their concerns are valid. Customer happiness is key: a happy customer becomes a repeat customer and may even lead to a referral for your business through word of mouth or social media. Happy customers further your bottom line.
Going Beyond Message Taking
Improving customer satisfaction through positive phone support isn’t just about taking a message and relaying it, although that’s a big piece of the puzzle. It's also about acting as the face (or more appropriately, voice) of the company, recognizing the responsibility that comes with that, and becoming a representative of the brand for even that brief moment in time. Those impressions are lasting, and when handled correctly.
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